Turbo trainers and tyres of mass destruction

ben@31

I read on here people buy separate tyres for their turbo trainer. I haven't used one before, so do you need to change the tyre before using a turbo trainer or will it defo wear away and spray bits off rubber up my wall?
Or is there some people out there who get away with keep the same tyres on?
The tyres I currently have on the bike are Schwalbe Ultremo ZX.
It sounds a pain having to keep changing tyres around, as I plan to get out on nicer days.

ravey1981

They wont self destruct, but then I wouldn't use my "best" tyres on a trainer either. I'd buy the cheapest 2nd hand wheel you can find, stick an old tyre and a cheap cassette on it and use that as you're turbo wheel. Easier than swapping tyres around.

smoggysteve

A tyre used on a turbo trainer can square off after a while, which is no problem on the trainer but will feel very awkward on the road. You are best using an cheap tyre or get a blue trainer specific tyre which are harder wearing.

Mikey23

Mine flattened off quite quickly and became bumpy after only moderate use. A proper tyre is the way to go...

cougie

Just try yours first and see hwo you go.

1. Most people pack up the turbo pretty quickly
2. Some turbos dont eat tyres.

I did a fair amount of hours on my turbo last winter and my tyres showed about the same wear as if it was on the road so no worries.

napoleond

I do a lot of my training on the turbo due to time constraints. I use the same tyre on my training wheel on the road, so no faffing. I find any barriers you put in the way of getting you on the turbo will increases the chances of 'can't be ar5ed'.
I find the best tyres for this are those with a strong, slick centre section, I used a bontrager race light for about 18 months and have been using a Spesh pro for last 18. It's still going strong!

Brailsford Bad

NapoleonD wrote:

I do a lot of my training on the turbo due to time constraints. I use the same tyre on my training wheel on the road, so no faffing. I find any barriers you put in the way of getting you on the turbo will increases the chances of 'can't be ar5ed'.
I find the best tyres for this are those with a strong, slick centre section, I used a bontrager race light for about 18 months and have been using a Spesh pro for last 18. It's still going strong!

I agree with this. Tyres with strong, slick centre sections are best.

Also, different turbos have different rollers. Ive had Elite turbos that are good but i found the Elastogel roller they use to eat the tyres a bit quicker than my current turbo ( a basic Minoura) that uses a smooth metal roller.

As Napoleon says, make it as easy as possible to want to use a turbo trainer, if you have to faff about changing tyres or wheels everytime you wont bother getting on it after a while, especially in winter where its easier to stay indoors with a cuppa and tv.
I have a basic winter bike and i leave it on the turbo with the same tyres i use on the road. I work in London so by the time i get home i dont want the hassle of swapping tyrs/wheels/ bikes about. Get one decent tyre on your bike and leave it set up, youre more likely to just get on with it then.

iron-clover

It also depends what tyres you already have on the bike you're going to be using, how often you'll be using the turbo and nowerdays what the roller is made of.

My first experiences with turbos were at a clubs turbo night where I would ride 5 miles through the countryside before mounting the bike on one of the (luckily many) spare turbos. I was using Conti gatorskins at the time that were approaching the end of their lives having been rounded off a fair bit by thousands of miles anyway, so that didn't bother me. Wear did increase though and I saw a silvery sheen on the tyres after use.

Next up was a simple turbo I borrowed from my uni club the next year, which I put more time into by myself. This time I was using a dedicated turbo wheel ( funnily enough the same as before but the rim was knackered after the next winter) with an old 'winter' tyre to take the damage. Again it left a metal sheen on the tyre but I couldn't really tell the wear on it.

Now I have one of the Elite fluid trainers with the 'elastogel' roller covering, and also it's my weight that presses the wheel into the roller rather than vice varsa with a screw.
Becuase of the rubberised roller coating there is no need for the roller to be pressed into the tyre and contrary to the post above I can't say I've noticed any wear with it- because I was only using it sparingly over this summer I've actually just been using my normal mile munching wheels and tyres without the faff of changing the wheel over, something I would definately do if I still had a standard metal roller on it.
I'd be happy to try it with my racing tyres for warm ups when I eventually stop using public transport and/ or pedal power to get to them

cougie

My roller is metal and really doesnt wear the tyre much - sure it leaves a silvery sheen on it - but isnt that the roller wearing rather than the tyre ? One short ride outside and its back to normal.

It might be noiser than the funky elastomer rollers - but kinder on the tyre.

Brailsford Bad

cougie wrote:

My roller is metal and really doesnt wear the tyre much - sure it leaves a silvery sheen on it - but isnt that the roller wearing rather than the tyre ? One short ride outside and its back to normal.

It might be noiser than the funky elastomer rollers - but kinder on the tyre.

This is what I have also found. Shiny metal rollers seem easier on the tyre. The elastomer one on the Elite turbo i had did eat through the tyres quicker, you could physically see bits of rubber around the base, almost like small marbles of rubber like F1 cars leave behind, like rubber powder. I used a few different types of tyre on the Elastomer, Schwalbe, Conti, Michelin and they all reacted like that eventually.
Im not against Elite turbos at all though, they are great turbos and i would buy one again, but i have found the metal roller kinder on the tyre.
It may well be that with Elite turbos where your bodyweight presses against the roller, there could be more friction/pressure on the tyre as opposed to a metal roller where you screw the flywheel up against the tyre. Just a thought.

Diamant49

I used a Vittoria Corsa on a turbo trainer and destroyed it in about 2 hours - the tread is glued on and the glue melted - messy!

I do now use a "proper" turbo trainer tyre.

paul64

I have squared off the shoulders of tyres in the past on turbo trainers and I thought it's not going to be a good thing when descending a damp road. Maybe an irrational fear, maybe the wear was caused by being a heavier rider (circa 85kg), maybe down to the kit as others mention.

But tyres can be absurdly expensive (arguments about 40 processes by hand on Conti black chilli tyres as an example noted) and it seemed silly to destroy expensive tyres. So I bought the cheapest spare wheel I could find about 4 years ago to keep just for indoor training and fitted an orange Conti turbo trainer tyre. An interesting experience in itself as the tight fit made it an absolute pig with the first couple of inners bursting and discovering that talcum powder (on the inner before fitting) is your best friend for this!

I also recall squaring off the shoulders on front and rear tyres using the rollers, can't remember which brand of tyres but I set up another old wheel and turbo trainer tyre for this. Like many things in cycling, it's all extra expense but once you have them you have them for years.